Obstacles block Mandalay’s efforts at clearing drains

Obstacles facing the Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) Cleaning Department efforts are mounting as they struggle to clear clogged drains and canals in the city.

U Soe Tint Aung, head of the MCDC Cleaning Department, said that while there are daily cleaning operations going on, indiscriminate disposing of garbage are blocking their efforts at clearing the rubbish from the drains.

One of the main problems facing the department, said U Soe Tint Aung said, is the people who are living near canals and drains illegally are throwing refuse into the drains for many years.

And this problem needs to be solved decisively, he said.

“There are main drains and canals in downtown areas. There are also illegal houses or shops built over them.

“In the rainy season, the canals and drains cannot cope with the amount of water and flooding becomes a major problem.

“We collect the rubbish daily but there are illegal shops and we cannot do our job effectively. The large equipment and workers cannot reach certain areas to maneuver.

“For example, we cannot clear in Zay Cho. There are also illegal shops in Tat Hmyaw 73rd street is prone to flooding,” he said.

U Soe Tint Aung said, “We must act decisively by giving notices to the illegal shops. The ward administers should not allow these illegal shops to operate,” he said on June 16.

U Soe Tint Aung added that the Mayor is interested in cleaning up the city and bought special vehicles to clear the waterways and drainage system.

The clearing of rubbish from drains involves 32 vehicles (large, medium and small) and 242 workers who clear and collect rubbish.

If it rains heavily, the workers are assigned to places where there are blockages by dividing their duties among themselves, he said.

“The authorities are trying to resolve the matter of the illegal shops in the event they have valid operating licenses.

“If these shop owners have valid permits where the blockages occur, a major problem will be how to clear them.